Marn’i Washington, a former FEMA supervisor recently dismissed over allegations she directed workers to skip hurricane-damaged homes displaying Trump campaign signs, claims her directive was in line with a broader FEMA policy of avoiding “politically hostile” residences. Washington argues that the practice isn’t isolated to her team, calling it a “colossal event of avoidance” and saying it has been applied in other regions, including the Carolinas.

In a revealing interview with podcaster Roland Martin, Washington, who was terminated last week, insisted she was following a widespread approach that prioritizes worker safety. “FEMA preaches avoidance first, and then de-escalation. This is not isolated,” she said. Washington contends that senior officials were aware of her directive and approved it, citing incident reports documenting encounters with hostile residents following recent hurricanes.

A former FEMA official corroborated her claim, telling The Post that the practice of bypassing Trump-supporting homes is “an open secret” at FEMA. According to Washington, threats and hostile interactions with residents became increasingly common, with some incidents reported following Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In Tennessee, a sheriff reported that an armed group had threatened FEMA workers, further highlighting safety risks.

“Senior leadership will lie to you and tell you they don’t know,” Washington claimed. “But if you ask the [Disaster Survivor Assistance] crew leads and specialists what they’re experiencing in the field, they will tell you.” She urged those questioning her actions to demand incident reports, which she asserts will confirm that safety concerns drive such avoidance decisions, not political biases.

The controversy erupted after reports that Washington had instructed FEMA staff, both verbally and in a Teams message, to avoid properties showing Trump support. A “best practices” memo obtained by The Daily Wire cited “Avoid homes advertising Trump” among other safety guidelines, resulting in around 20 homes being skipped and ultimately excluding those residents from receiving federal disaster aid.

The fallout from the directive has sparked major criticism. Florida Rep. Carlos Gimenez condemned the incident as “reprehensible” and accused the Biden administration of weaponizing FEMA to deny disaster relief to Trump-supporting Americans. “The Biden administration weaponized FEMA to purposely deny Trump-supporting Americans critical aid,” Gimenez told The Post, calling for accountability.

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell announced Washington’s firing, stating the directive “violated FEMA’s core values and principles to help people regardless of political affiliation.” Criswell emphasized her commitment to preventing similar incidents in the future.

Washington, who joined FEMA in 2019, claims she has faced severe personal repercussions since her termination, including the loss of a secondary job and threats that forced her to relocate. While FEMA insists her actions were unauthorized, Washington maintains that the agency has long been aware of such practices and chose to scapegoat her amid mounting scrutiny.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)